Headlight



P. W. WHITE Oct. 21 1924.

HEADLIGHT Filed Oct. 10 192 2 Sheets-Sheet l fave/H077 60';

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P. W. WHITE HEADLIGHT Filed Oct. 10 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 21 1924.

HEADLIGHT.

Application filed October 10, 1921. Serial No. 506,657.

To all whom it may canoe m:

Be it known that I, PERCY W. WHITE, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Cleveland Heights, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Headlight, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in headlights more especially designed for use on motor-vehicles.

. One object of this invention is to produce an improved and highly practical headlight having such construction that effective illumination of the roadway in front of the motor-vehicle is attainable without objectionable projection of light-rays at a height requiring dimming of the light-transmitting panel which participates in the formation of the front of the headlight and through which occurs the transmission of light for illuminating the roadway, and that the projection of a beam of light into the eyes of the driver of an approaching vehicle, and

waste of illuminating power, are successfully prevented.

"*Another object is to provide improved means for adjusting a mirror which forms a part of my improved headlight and is employed in reflecting rays of light over and onto the roadway.

Another object is to provide improved means for the attachment, ,to the headlight casing, of a flaring reflector which forms a part of the headlight and is employed in. directing light-rays onto the face of the aforesaid. mirror.

Another object is to provide a headlight of the charactereindicated which is simple and durable in construction, readily installable on a motorvehicle, and'attractive in appearance.

With these objects in view, and to attain any other object hereinafter appearing, this invention consists in certain features of con struction, and combinations and relative arrangements of parts, hereinafter described in this s cification, pointed out in the claims, and ilustrated in the accompanying drawsupported from a forwardly projecting arm of the chassis-frame of a 'motor-vehicle. Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken along in a i said drawings, F1gure-1 is a side view,

the line 2'2 in Fig. 1, looking forwardly. Fig. 3 is a section, in detail, taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4; is a transverse section taken along the line 44 in Fig. 1, lookingrearwardly. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section takenalong the line 5-'5 in Fig. 1. Fi 6 is a section taken alon the line 6-6 in ig. 4. Fig. 7 is a vertica section taken along the line 7-7 in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a section, in detail, taken alon the line 88 in Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is a section, in detail, taken along the line 99 in Fig. 2. Figs. 8 and 9 are drawn on a larger scale than the other figures of drawings. a I

A support for my improved headlight (see Figs. 1 and 5) is shown as comprising two laterally spaced standards or uprights 12 which at then lower ends are connected to and preferably integral with a substantially vertical post 13 adapted to be secured to a convenient member of a motor-vehicle. Preferably the lower portion of said post has a downwardly facing shoulder 14: resting on a laterally projecting flange 15 of ,a forwardly projecting arm 16 of the chassis-- frame of said vehicle. Said post terminates at said shoulder in a downwardly projecting stud 17 which extends through and below the flange 15, and a nut 18 is threaded onto said stud and tightened against the under side of said flange. The casing of my im proved headlight comprises an external ATENT EQFICE.

shell which is preferably formed of sheetmetal and has two opposite spaced side Walls 20 arranged between the standards 12. The upper end portion of each standard 12 (see Fig. 7 has an upwardly facing shoulder 21, an said standard terminates at said shoulder in an upwardly projecting stud 22 which extends through andabove a rigid"; 2;.

member 23 which rests on said shoulder and is arranged externally of and preferably welded to the ad'acent side wall 20, and a nut 24 is threade onto said stud and tightened against the top of said member 23 The side walls 20 extend (see Fig. 1) from a point rearward of the. space between the standards 12 to a point a suitable distance forward of said space, and the shell comprising said walls also has an outwardly. curved forward end wall 25 arranged preferably wholly forward of and in the main above said space, and said forward end wall.

extendsbetween and connects with the side walls 20. Said shell has an outwardly observed (see Figs. 1, 2 and 4-). that saidcurved rearward end wall 26 extending between and connecting with the side walls 20 and arranged wholly rearward of the space between the standards 12, and said shell also has a top portion 27 extending between and connecting with the end walls and 26 and extending between and connecting with the side walls 20. The relative arrangement of the .parts is such that the forward end wall 25 is considerably higher than the rearward end wall 26, and obviously therefore the lower end of the rearward end wall 26 is lower than the lower end of the forward end wall 25. Said shell (see Figs. 1, 2 and 4) is braced and reinforced by two laterally spaced metal frames 28 arranged internally of the shell and constituting members of the headlight casing. Preferably each frame 28 has its central portion extending between the upper ends of the end walls 25 and 26 and bracing the top portion'27 of said shell and has its opposite end portions extending substantially to the lower ends of and con-' toured as required to conform to and bracing opposite end walls 25 and 26 respectively, and said-shell is preferably welded to and therefore rigid with said frames. By the construction hereinbefore described it will be shell hasan openin 29 formed at the bottom and lower portlon of the front of the casing and extending between the lower ends of the side walls 20 and between the lower ends of the end walls 25 and 26.

. Said shell or casing is provided with an inclined light-transmitting slide-forming panel 30 shown closing the opening 29. Said panel is composed preferably of plate glass and extends straight between the lower ends of the end walls 25 and 26. The outer side of said panel therefore faces forwardly and downwardly, and said panel is supported from the casing. Each side wall 20- is shown extending, as at 31, (see Figs. 2 and 4) to and overlapping the inner side of the adjacent side marginal portion of the panel 30. Each of the end walls 25 and 26 is shown extending, as at 32, (see Fig. 1) to and overlapping the inner side of the adjacent end marginal portion of the panel 30. The hereinbefore mentioned shell is rovided with a metal frame 33 which over aps the outer side of theforward and rearward marginal portions of the light-transmitting panel 30, as shown in Fig. 1, and extends opposite the forward and rearward edges of said panel and adjacent said edges is welded to and therefore rigid with said shell.

Internally of the forward end portion of the headlight casing and over the forward and upper end portion of the light-transmitting panel 30 (see Figs. land 2) is arranged a rearwardly facing flarin reflector 38 which is arranged substantia ly at. a right angle to said, panel and surrounds an incandescent electric lamp 39 arranged centrally of and mounted in the reflector and supplied with electric current in any approved manner. Said reflector is provided at its diametricall larger end and externally with an annu ar flange 40 (see also Fig. 9) removably secured by screws 41 to a quadrangularframe 42 which surrounds the reflector and is interposed between said flange and lugs 43 formed on the reinforcing frames 28. The frame 42 is removably secured to the lugs 43, and therefore to the frames 28, by screws 45.

Internally of the rearward end portion of the headlight casing (see Figs. 1, 4 and 6) is an upright mirror arranged transversely in relation to the casing and having its face formed by a glass plate coated at its rear side in any approved manner to form a light-reflecting panel 47. Said light-reflecting panel is mounted in a metal frame 48 which extends circumferentially of said panel, and a metal plate 49 is arranged to form a covering for the rear sides of said panel and'frame, and (see Figs. 4 and 8) 1s removably secured to said frame by screws 50. The frame or portion 48 of the mirror is hinged or pivoted at its lower end, as at 51, to the lower ends of the rear end portions of the frames 28, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and has a substantially horizontal axis. Said mirror is arranged and free to be swung forwardly. The relative arrangement of the parts is such that the mirror is arranged lower than and faces the flaring reflector 38 and also faces the light-transmitting panel 30, that said panel extends upwardly and forwardly to a point under and near said flaring reflector from a point under and near the mirror, that said panel participates in theformation of the bottom as well as in the formation of the lower portion of the front of the headlight, that said flaring reflector directs light, upon lighting the lamp 39,.onto the face of the mirror, and that rays of light received by said face from said flaring reflector and from the lamp are projected from the mirror to and through the panel 30 and over and onto the roadwayin front of the vehicle.

Each frame 28 (see Figs. 1, 4 and 8) is provided adjacent and forward of the upper portion of the frame or portion 48 of the mirrorwith a downwardly projecting rigid arm 53 which extends opposite the forward side of said portion of and is spaced from the mirror, and the lower end portion of said arm is rovided in front of said portion of the mirror with a slot 54 extending endwise of the arm and fromthe forward side to the rear side of the arm and llllll) engaged by a pin 55 which is rigid with and a suitable distance forwardly of said arm. Said slot is arranged to accommodate the location of said pin during any desired forward or rearward movement or adjustment of the mirror, and onto said pin is threaded a nut 56 which abuts at the sides of said slot against the forward side of said arm, and said nut and said arm cooperate in forming a stop for limiting rearward movement of the mirror. On each pin 55 is mounted a coiled spring 57 confined on the pin between the mirror and the adjacent arm 53. The springs 57 on the pins 55 are under tension in the rearward and normal position of the mirror and therefore act to swing the mirror rearwardly, but said springs are only partially compressed in said position of the mirror so as to permit swinging of the mirror forwardly against the action of the springs. It will also be observed that the mirror is readjusted in relation to the arms 53 of the frames 28 by, a readjustment of the nuts 56 endwise of the pins 55.

As hereinbefore indicated, the springs 57 act to retain the mirror in its rearward and normal position, and I would here remark that imprbved means (see Figs. 1, 4 and 6) for actuating the mirror forwardly tocause the light-rays received by the mirror from the reflector 38 and lamp 39 to be projected from the mirror through the light-transmitting panel 30 and onto the roadway in closer proximit to the front of the vehicle, comprise a su stantially horizontal shaft 58 spaced rearwardly from the mirror and arranged internally of the; rearward end portion of the casing and lower than the top edge and higher than the axis of the mirror. Preferably said shaft is substantially parallel with the axis of the mirror andsupported from forwardly projecting arms 59 with which therearward end portions of the frames 28 are provided. Said shaft has two upwardly and forwardly projecting arms 60 spaced endwise of the shaft and arranged adjacent opposite side edges respectively of the mirror and engaging-the back-plate 49 of the mirror in the rearward and normal position of the mirror. Said shaft is rovided,-'centrally between its ends, wit a downwardly projecting arm 61to the lower end of which is attached a cable 62 which extends rearwardly through an aperture 63 in the rear end wall 26 of the casing to within convenient reach or control of the driver of the vehicle equipped with the headlight. Obviously a pull upon said cable rearwardly results in the rotation of the shaft 58 in the direction required to efiect forward movement of the mirror against the action of the springs 57.

What I claim is-- 1. A headlight comprising a shell having a rearward wall and a forward wall the lower end of which is higher than the lower end of the first-mentioned wall and also having a top portion extending-between said walls and an opening extending between said ends of said walls, two laterally spaced frames internally of said shell and bracing said walls and the aforesaid top portion ofsaid shell, an inclined lighttransmitting panel arranged to form a closure for the aforesaid opening, arearwardly facing flaring reflector internally of the for-' ward portion of the aforesaid shell, means for illuminating said reflector, andamirror internally of the rearward portion of said shell and facing the flaring reflector and the aforesaid panel, said flaring reflector and the mirror being supported from the forward portion and rearward portion respectively of each 'ofxthe aforesaid frames.

2. A headlight comprising a shell which has forward and rearward walls and a top portion extending between said walls and has the lower end of its forward wall higher than the lower end of itsrearward wall and also has an opening extending between said ends of said walls,.two laterally spaced re inforcing frames intern-ally of said shell and arranged to brace said walls, aninclined light-transmitting anel arranged to form a closure for the a oresaid opening, a rearwardly facing flaring reflector internall of the forward portion of the aforesaid s ell, means for illuminating said reflector, a mirror internally of the-rearward portion of said shell, and a frame extending between the upper and lower ends of the, forward end portions of and secured to the aforesaid reinforcing frames and arranged transversely of said shell and supporting the' aforesaid flaring reflector.

3. A headlight comprising a shell which. has forward and rearward end walls and a top portion extending between said walls and has the lower end of its forward end wall higher than the lower end of its rearward end wall and also has an opening extending between said ends of said walls, two

laterally spaced reinforcing frames internal- 'ly of said shell and arranged to brace said walls, an inclined light-transmitting panel arranged to form a closure for the aforesaid opening, a rearwardly facing flaring reflector internally of the forward portion of the aforesaid shell, a lamp internally of said reflector, a mirror internally of the rearward end portion of said shell, and a frame extending etween the upper and lower ends of the forward end portions of and secured to the aforesaid reinforcing frames and arranged transversely of said shell, the flaring reflector being provided at its diametrically larger end and externally with a circum-' fenentially extending flange overlapping and secured to said frame.

4. A headlight comprising a casing havi the mirror and havin ing a forward wall and a rearward wall the lower end of which is lower than the lower end of the first-mentioned wall and also having an opening extending between said ends of said walls,"an inclined lighttransmitting panel arranged to form a, closure for said opening, a rearwardly fac 1;; flaring reflector internally of the forwar portion of the casing, means for illuminating said reflector, a mirror internally 0f the rearward portion of the casin and spaced forwardly from the aforenti rearward wall and pivoted at its lower end and facing the flaring reflector and the afore said panel and arranged and free to be swung forwardly, means arranged ad'acent 1 the upper end of the mirror and acting to swing the mirror rearwardly, means for limiting rearward movement of the mirror, a shaft substantially parallel with the axis of the mirror and arranged between the mirre:- and the aforesaid rearward wall and having two upwardly projecting a a s which are spaced endwise of the shaft and arranged to actuate the mirror forwardly during rotation of the shaft in the required direction, and me for efiecting said rotation of the shaft, 4

5. A headlight comprising a casing having a forward wall and a rearward wall the lower end of which is lower than the lower end of the first-mentioned wall and also having an opening extending between said ends of said walls, an inclined light-transmitting panel arranged to form a closure for said opening, a rearwardly facing flaring reflector internally of the forward portion of the casing, means for illuminat ing said reflector, a mirror internally of the rearward portion of the casing and pivoted at its lower end and ada ted to be swung forwardly and facing the flaring reflector and the aforesaid panel and provided at its upper end with laterally spaced forwardly projecting pins, members rigid with the casing and arranged adjacent the upper end of and spaced forwardly from slots which are engaged by saidpins an arranged to accommodate the location of the pins during forward movement of the mirror, means acting to swing the mirror renrwardly, said pins extending through said slots and forwardly of the slotted members, and "nuts wardly facing flaring reflector internally of the forward portion of the casing, means for illuminating said reflector, a mirror internally of the rearward portion of the casing and pivoted at its lower end and adapted to be swung forwardly and facin the flaring reflector and the aforesaid panel and provided with two forwardly projecting pins arranged adjacent opposite side edges respectively of the mirror, members rigid with the casing and spaced forwardly from the mirror and having slots which are ongaged by said pins and arranged to accommodate the location of the pins during forward movement of the mirror, springs mounted and confined on said pins between the mirror and the slotted members, said pins extending throu h said slots and forwardly of the slotte members, and nuts threaded onto said pins at and overlapping the forward sides of mid slotted members.

7. A headlight comprising a shell having a forward wall and a rearward wall which is lower than the first-mentioned wall and also having an opening extending between the lower ends of said walls, two laterally spaced frames internally of said shell, an inclined light-transmittin panel arranged to form a closure for sai opening, a rearwardly facing flaring reflector internally of the forward portion of the aforesaid shell and supported from the aforesaid frames, a lamp internally of said reflector, a mirror internally of the rearward portion of said shell and pirotally connected at its lower end to said frames and facing the flaring reflector and the aforesaid panel and adapted to he swung forwardly,means acting to swing the mirror forwardly, and means for limiting rearward movement of the rnirror.

ln testimon whereof ll sign the foregoing specification t is let day of @otoher, 192i.

raiser w, wrnr'n.

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